At Ease
by elven priestess
Summary: seifer finds selphie in balamb one day and this leads to a unexpected romance between two of the most unlikely people.
1. Prologue

TITLE: At Ease  
AUTHOR: strider  
EMAIL: strider@corruptmonk.com  
HOMEPAGE: www.recycled-tears.com, www.corruptmonk.com  
  
  
----------  
Prologue   
---  
  
Speak now or forever hold your peace.  
  
Selphie sighed, her heart felt a bit dreary as she walked up the asle. She looked up, and there he was. Irvine, his hair was still astrociously long and his eyes were bright as he looked at her. He was her love. She paused in her steps and the people around her looked at her, expecting her to speed up.   
  
Someone has to stop this wedding. She coughed and started to walk again. Someone had to stop this wedding. She shook her head, no, she loved Irvine. Irvine was her love.   
  
Irvine was supposed to be her love.  
  
Selphie couldn't help to feel that there should be someone else where he was standing, there should be someone else. Not him. Not Irvine. She didn't want to get married, she was only twenty-two for christ's sake. No. She didn't want to get married. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.  
  
"I don't want to get married!" Selphie stopped walking as the words burst out of her mouth.   
  
The music stopped.  
  
She looked at Irvine who looked back at her, his face was undescribable and he couldn't find anything to say. The crowd murmured words of apparent shock that were nonsense in Selphie's ears. She couldn't hear them, comprehend.  
  
"Aha ha ha ha... just kidding." Selphie laughed her outburst off and the music started up again. Selphie started to walk again. She was now in front of the priest.  
  
"You look beautiful," Irvine whispered to her.  
  
Of course she did. Selphie smiled, flattered with her husband-to-be's comments. She had always pictured her wedding when she was young, she had pictured it to be perfect. Wonderful. She pictured herself to be beautiful, wearing a silver tiara and a flowing white gown with a long train that followed her with each footstep. Flowers would be thrown as she walked and the music would be played with at least one violin.   
  
And she would be so completely happy. In bliss.  
  
Yet, somehow, Selphie could not feel happy. She didn't feel happy at all. It was disconcerting and made her feel awkward. Did she really want to get married? Did she really want to be with Irvine for the rest of her life?  
  
Irvine slipped the ring onto her finger.  
  
"Speak now or forever hold your peace."  
  
Those words were the only words Selphie caught in her mind. Forever. Forever hold your peace. Selphie choked on the words that played back over and over again in her mind.  
  
Then the great brown doors that separated her from freedom opened.   
  
"Am I late?"  
  
Selphie's heart jumped at the voice. That voice was so wonderful to her ears. She tilted her head and looked at the bearer of the words.  
  
"No..." her voice was faint. "Not at all..." He couldn't hear her of course, but it reassured her to say that. He looked at her, arching one eyebrow for a response. She just stared back, meek and timid for the first time in her life.  
  
He shook his head and decided to continue anyway. "You can't get married," he was yelling now.   
  
"Why ever not?" Irvine commented brashly, his words full of harsh venom, lashing out at _him_. He felt hurt, confused; feeling as if Selphie had in a way betrayed him. Though she didn't, and he knew why _he_ was there.   
  
In the end, Irvine had caused the whole interruption in the first place.  
  
Selphie threw her bouquet at the floor, "I don't want to get married!" she yelled. "No! I don't!" She smiled, tears forming at the corners of her eye. She picked up the folds of her skirt and ran towards _him_.  
  
Irvine looked at her incredulously. "Selph...ie, you can't mean that," his words were slow and unsure, his mind in complete shock. Irvine had never thought that Selphie didn't love him anymore. Her love was unconditional, or was supposed to be unconditional. But now... he wasn't so sure.  
  
Selphie ignored Irvine and ran up to the golden-haired boy, she wrapped her arms around him.  
  
"I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you.. I love you..."  
  
"I know," he whispered back to her. "I know. I'm sorry. So sorry. Sorry." Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. The words echoed in her mind.  
  
She shook them off. "I love you... I love you... I love you..." she repeated over and over again, the people around her just stared at the hugging couple in shock. At the moment though, she could care less what the people thought of her. She just wanted to run away with him, leave this whole community of masks and lies.  
  
"I love you.. I love you... I love you..." Selphie closed her eyes, trying to hold on. She didn't want him to leave her arms, escape. He had to stay there, she had to hold on. She had to hold on, can't let go...  
  
"I know, I love you too," he whispered again, trying to reassure her that it was okay. I love you too. The words drifted endlessly in her mind and for one single moment she felt it. She felt the infinite bliss, she felt so wonderful. She felt as if she could be happy for the rest of her life, would be happy forever right there. She felt as if she was drifting in eternity, even though she knew it would only last for such a little while, for that moment it was forever. It was then that she knew she would rather spend one last minute with him than have a thousand weddings with Irvine.  
  
For with Irvine, it would never be real in a surreal manner. It would never be like a masked dream that was unmasked when she found the treasure, it would never be like this. Not now, not ever. For Irvine, it would be just the mask itself. All masks and no truths.  
  
Selphie looked up at _him_. "No. I love you." Her voice was final.  
  
"I love you, Seifer."  
  
-----------  
  
===  
Author's Notes  
===  
I love Irvine. I really do, he's one of my favoritest characters in the whole wide world, Final Fantasy VIII struck me odd. It's definitely not my favorite ff, but I happen to adore each and every single character in that FF. I adore all the couples, though my favorites would have to be seifer/quistis, seifer/fujin, seifer/selphie. It's rather odd but I don't really mind.  
I hate to put Irvine down in this way, it really does hurt me but it cant be helped. I suggest that if you love Irvine, you either have an open mind and read this fanfic or stay away from it since he's not going to be too cool in this fic.  
Hm... what else? Oh yes, the first chapter is on its way, hopefully it won't be off too long though i do write rather slow. Please be patient. 


	2. Chapter One

TITLE: At Ease  
AUTHOR: strider  
EMAIL: strider@corruptmonk.com  
HOMEPAGE: www.recycled-tears.com, www.corruptmonk.com  
  
  
----------  
Chapter One  
------  
  
// In my dreams //  
// I'm dying all the time //  
  
  
It had been approximately three years since the battle of Ultimecia. Three years since Selphie had seen the strangest happenings around her, her life changed as she saw the one thing that could change her life forever.  
  
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, what was it again? There was a person... a person... She just couldn't recall the face. She couldn't remember the face at all, she could remember a rich color, just not which color. The person told her that for her there were two, not one, futures.  
  
Two futures.   
  
And that was all.  
  
She didn't know why, but at that moment Selphie had never felt so sad. Her soul was empty, her mind held no happiness. Her heart was grief-stricken and she just felt so anguished. Just hearing 'two futures' made her cry and have the need to isolate herself from others.  
  
Then she would be happy again. Her normal self, still not sure, but certainly not sad.  
  
---  
  
He found her in the alleyway. She was sobbing, her brown hair was messy and tears streamed down her face, the dim light shining on her face when she looked up as he took a step closer to her.  
  
Right when he saw her, he thought it so strange to see her. The messenger girl. He could have sworn her hair was short, he could have sworn that she was short and stocky and no where as beautiful as she looked.  
  
Fragile. Somewhat obselate. It reminded him of Rinoa and for a moment he hated her. He couldn't stand to see another Rinoa. He couldn't stand to be with another Rinoa. He didn't want to be hurt again. Fire burned within him as he thought of the black haired girl who took his heart. To think he loved her.  
  
The he looked back at Selphie and his thoughts of Rinoa drifted away.  
  
He could distinctively remember her head down on her knees, when she looked up though, her eyes were so sad. She was wearing something nice, he could remember. She was wearing a nice evening dress, silk, and a light green. He never saw her wearing green before, she always wore that yellow dress of hers or her blue SeeD uniform.  
  
He could tell the day was supposed to be special for her.  
  
She looked at him, her eyes big and frightened.  
  
Her voice was weak. "S... Seifer?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. He couldn't help feeling an urge to pick her up and hold her in his arms. So warm...  
  
Seifer looked at her. "What happened?" His voice seemed to have some bit of concern embedded in his words. Odd, he wasn't normally caring about her. He didn't even know her. Yet somehow... he couldn't explain.  
  
"I... " Selphie stopped. She looked at him, tears flowed freely down her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them away. For a sudden moment, she looked so fragile and innocent. So beautiful. Seifer had to close his eyes to get the image away from his mind.  
  
"Irvine," was all she managed to say before she looked away, her mind drifting away.  
  
Seifer narrowed his eyes at the small petite girl, "What did he do? I'm going to kick his ass," he growled. He didn't even know why he was feeling so protective over her. He didn't even know her, he didn't even remember her last name.  
  
Yet somehow, he just couldn't help feeling so angry.  
  
"Nothing. He didn't do anything," Selphie sniffled.   
  
Seifer sighed. "C'mon, come with me."  
  
Selphie didn't respond. She stayed still, not quite doing anything.  
  
Seifer looked at her for a moment before he walked toward her and picked her up. As he lifted her into his arms, he noticed that she wasn't heavy at all. She was very light, and she wasn't making any moves of protest.  
  
He smiled sadly, she felt warm in his arms and she felt so seemingly right.  
  
---  
  
Seifer took her to his room, laying her gently on his bed. He sat on the bed, his coat off, his shirt emphasized his muscles. He looked at Selphie who was disturbingly quiet.   
  
Her eyes were closed and her long hair had a couple bobby pins in it, it had obviously fallen out earlier and was messy. She smelled nice, perfume. He decided she was asleep and started to leave the room before, at the doorway he stopped as he started to hear light sobs.  
  
He stood there at the doorway for a while, his light room off, the kitchen light on, and his figure looming in the dark. The light sobs started to get louder until he hear a constant sobbing. He saw her body wracked with unending sobs.  
  
He looked at her once more before he left and closed the door.  
  
---  
  
Hours later he opened the door and saw her body still on his bed.  
  
The memories hit him. On his bed. He closed his eyes as he remembered the summer. He could still smell the same scents that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Her hair was black when he first met her. He could still remember.  
  
---  
  
"What's your name?" she had been following him all day ever since he had defended her when a stupid ass of a man told her off. It offended his pride when the man also swore at him and he spoke hot words on instinct.  
  
He didn't think she'd follow him.   
  
There she was, right behind him, tagging along to all the places he went. Gods... if only he had brought along Fuj. She'd kick her ass within a second once Seifer gave her the sign. She'd get rid of the pesky girl.  
  
Then Seifer turned around after the many questions asked by her. He turned around, stared straight into her eyes and said some words he would have regretted a month ago.  
  
"Why the fuck are you following me?"  
  
She seemed hurt at first, and then smiled afterwards. Her hair was so goddamn black, so goddamn black. He couldn't stand it. She was too pure, too innocent.  
  
"I like you," she had said in triumph.  
  
And then Seifer felt he had to stay with her. No one ever told him that. Ever. No one had ever elaborated on how they liked him. He was the trouble maker. Why like him? And here there was, this girl who he never met before in his life, telling him that she liked him just because of one stupid thing he did on accident.  
  
"You have a certain spirit in you. I'd like to know you better..." she continued.  
  
And soon enough they were walking down the streets and he bought her a hairpin for her dark hair, it was glittery and shone when the sunlight hit it.  
  
She jumped up and down in her euphoria and then clinged onto his arm as they walked down the street, she told him many things then, her troubles and how she couldn't stand her father. He also told her about the Timber Owls.  
  
He somehow found himself liking her, he hated these types of girls, but she was different. Special. And her hair was so black.  
  
He took her to his apartment and she smiled seductively as she took off her long blue duster.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Seifer had never been so confused in his life, sure, he fucked girls the first day he met them but she was so innocent and was now on his bed telling him she loved him. This never happened. She was so innocent. He blushed a little.  
  
She smiled again. "I... areyouavirgin?" she asked quickly.   
  
Seifer laughed at her.  
  
She laughed. "I guess not..." A few seconds later she looked at him straight in the eye and smiled, "So... you... I really do love you."  
  
Seifer looked at her. "For Christ's sake, I don't even know your name."  
  
"Rinoa," she said. "Call me Rinoa."  
  
He sighed, and sat on his bed. She put an arm on his shoulder, pulling him down on top of her. She squirmed under him to get in a comfortable position and smiled.  
  
"I'm not a virgin either." She smiled at Seifer's apparant shock.  
  
"You really do want me," Seifer said in realization. He laughed. Then she kissed him.  
  
And they had a couple of hours of celestial bliss that is way past PG-13.  
  
Hours later, they were both naked on his bed, he played with her hair as she talked about the Timber Owls more. Telling him her plans.  
  
Then she turned her head and looked at him, "I could imagine summers like these... for the rest of my life," she whispered before she kissed him again.  
  
So beautiful.  
  
And he lost it all.  
  
---  
  
He heard a distinct moan. He shook his head and saw Selphie get up. Her eyes were crusted with dried tears and her hair was messier than before.  
  
She looked at him.  
  
"Seifer..."  
  
-----------  
  
===  
Author's Notes  
===  
this whole fic is being made up as i go along.  
another thing, i write on spur of the moments. sometimes i write a lot and other times i wont write for days. 


End file.
